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Context Trivia / TheExpendables

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1* AllStarCast: ZigZaggedTrope. In casting the film, Creator/SylvesterStallone decided to go for actors who were past their glory days. No one is A-list material anymore, and some never were. But their names still cast long shadows. Per Website/TheOtherWiki:
2-->On his approach to casting, Stallone explained that he was looking particularly for actors who had not experienced recent significant success in film, saying: "I like using people that had a moment and then maybe have fallen on some hard times and give them another shot. So we’re always looking for actors like Creator/MichaelBiehn and Michael Paré. I like those kinds of guys. Someone did it for me and I like to see if I can do it for them."
3* AuthorsSavingThrow: Creator/SylvesterStallone has said in interviews that he deliberately tries to cast guys who are either up-and-coming (such as Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin) and give them a nudge, or he tried to cast guys who got derailed (like Creator/DolphLundgren) and hopes it gives them a second chance. He has said this is why he wanted Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme and Wesley Snipes in the movie (he got them in the second and third, respectively), for example. He's also been trying to get roles for Michael Pare and Creator/StevenSeagal for upcoming installments.
4* CareerResurrection: This was Creator/DolphLundgren's first theatrical film in fifteen years and it gave his career a considerable boost.
5* DevelopmentHell: The all-female spinoff ''The Expendabelles'', which has had no progress updates since 2014. [[Film/Expend4bles The fourth film in the main series]], meanwhile, was put in doubt by the underperformance of ''Film/TheExpendables3'', but was eventually SavedFromDevelopmentHell and released in 2023, giving it a 9-year SequelGap.
6* DirectedByCastMember: The film is directed by Creator/SylvesterStallone himself, though he would later step down from the director's chair for the sequels.
7* DoingItForTheArt: Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger did his cameo for free.
8* DuelingMovies: Was released around the same time as the [[TheMovie film]] versions of the ''Film/TheATeam'', ''Film/TheLosers'', and ''Film/Red2010'', as all four are very similar on the surface. ''Film/{{Machete}}'' also covers similar ground.
9* DuelingStarsMovie: May just displace ''Film/FaceOff'' and ''Film/OceansEleven''.
10* FakeNationality: The "Somali" pirates that don't even look remotely Somali.
11* OnSetInjury: Creator/SylvesterStallone sustained fourteen injuries making the film, including breaking a tooth, rupturing his ankle, and getting a hairline fracture in his neck that required the surgical insertion of a metal plate. He also had bronchitis and shingles during the shoot.
12* PlayingAgainstType: Many ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' fans were surprised to see Creator/DavidZayas, who plays Angel Batista, one of the most consistently friendly, even-tempered, decent characters from that show, as a military dictator exploiting his island to fuel the drug trade.
13* SimilarlyNamedWorks: Not to be confused with a 1989 Vietnam War movie, a 2000 made-for-TV movie, or two musical bands (one American and one New Zealand) with the same name.
14* ThrowItIn:
15** Creator/BruceWillis ad-libbed his jab at both Arnold and Sylvester about going down on each other. Stallone was initially disgusted, as revealed in the DVDCommentary, but the line set the scene so well that it was kept.
16** The seaplane was supposed to be an unarmed escape vehicle, but in between filming, Stallone noticed one of the crew climbing out from the nose hatch, learned that it was accessed from inside the plane, and was immediately inspired to turn the seaplane into a gunship.
17* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
18** Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme declined to be in the film, as he did not like the character Stallone had created for him (rumored to be Gunnar, who would have gone to Lundgren only after Van Damme rejected it). However, he regretted his decision after watching the film and went to tell them he would join a sequel if they ever made it. As promised, he appeared as the bad guy of ''Expendables 2'', a role more akin to what he had wanted to do in the first.
19** Creator/StevenSeagal was offered a cameo in the film, but he turned it down, apparently due to problems with producer Avi Lerner.
20** UFC fighters Anderson Silva and Wallid Ismail were there with the Nogueira brothers when Stallone recruited the latter two to appear as soldiers. Silva was rumoredly going to make a cameo as well, but it did not happen.
21** Terry Crews' role was written with Creator/WesleySnipes in mind, but Snipes was unavailable due to his legal troubles. The role was almost filled by Creator/ForestWhitaker, but again, the latter had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, allowing Crews to enter. Snipes would finally be able to appear in the third film.
22** Creator/RobertDeNiro, Creator/BenKingsley, Creator/RayLiotta and Creator/AlPacino were considered for James Munroe.
23** Creator/KurtRussell and Music/FiftyCent were offered parts but declined, and there are rumors that Creator/ChuckNorris and Creator/BruceCampbell were approached as well (the former ended up appearing in the sequel while 50 later appeared in the fourth film).
24** This could have been Creator/BrittanyMurphy's final film. However Stallone cut her character from the script before anything was filmed.
25** At least four characters of the original script were cut out from the shooting draft:
26*** Richard. Creator/RobertKnepper and Creator/AlanTudyk were both approached for the role. Timing didn't work out for Knepper, while Tudyk was in between projects and didn't want to exhaust himself. The role was cut entirely while the movie was already being filmed.
27*** Agent Lickson. The role was put into Sandra, who we will find out is working for INTERPOL when she starts her relationship with Ross, and has been helping the revolutionaries against Garza get guns and medical attention.
28*** Agent Will Sands. The role was intended to be very large in the first draft, was later cut down after the casting of Creator/EricRoberts. Stallone was courting Creator/DenisLeary to appear, but his contract with ''Series/RescueMe'' got in the way. Stallone also tried getting Creator/JohnLurie, but he declined the role as well, so it was written out entirely.
29*** Emmanuel. The role was going to be played by Creator/DannyTrejo but it was scrapped due to time and budget constraints. Trejo's fee, as well as the costs for some of the stunt work in that scene, would've put them over, so his role was combined with that of Tool as story purpose and Wickham in terms of finding Sandra's hideaway.
30* WrittenInInfirmity: Randy Couture's ear deformity is now ''Expendables'' [[RedRightHand canon.]]

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